I have both filtered and unfiltered stock tanks. Even with a filter you will need to do water changes.

Back in the day I owned a fishmate pond filter close to what you are describing. It actually worked quite well. The only thing is it will accumalate a lot of gunk and you will have to be careful when you clean it. Use pond water and be VERY gently or it will set you back quite a bit. I am so over pressurized filters. To me they take too much water to backflush and they don't work as well as my DIY filters.

Sounds to me like your biggest challange will be removing the leaves and gunk from the bottom every year. A pond net will take care of the leaves but the gunk will still be a problem. When you do your water changes try to remove the water from the bottom of the pond to get out some of that sludge.

Thanks for the info.

Removing the sludge from the bottom of the pond--- I've seen those "vacuums" which you hook up to your garden hose and it creates a suction to remove the gunk. Would this work? I've also seen Muck Away tablets and wonder how well this would work? Or would I need to do both.

I tried covering the pond with a net once, since there is a large maple tree nearby (both leaves and the helicopter-like seeds) but our frogs kept getting tangled up in it, so I bought a (hand) net and try to remove the leaves often.

More suggestions? Ideas? Help?!?! :)

You can always have a pond net and still be accomidating to your frog population by streaching the net over the pond with the use of 1/4 inch dia bamboo sticks pushed into the soil around the the permiter of the pond. Slide the net up when the maple is not dropping leaves and closer to the surface when it is. Frogs will find their way in and out with no problem and 90% of the trash will be kept out along with any fish eating birds.

Thank you, Frogman4! I will do that. I just love the frogs and toads who live in my pond, and resisted netting the pond against leaves just because of them. Now I don't have to! ;)